TUCSON, Ariz. – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the five finalists for the 2023 Karl Malone Award on Thursday and Arizona forward Azuolas Tubelis is one of the finalists.
 
Named after the Class of 2010 Hall of Famer and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Karl Malone, the annual honor in its ninth year recognizes the top power forward in Division I men's college basketball.
 
Joining Tubelis on the list of finalists are Drew Timme (Gonzaga), Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana), Kris Murray (Iowa) and Bryce Hopkins (Providence).
 
Tubelis is looking to become the second Arizona Wildcat to win the Karl Malone Award after Deandre Ayton won it in 2018.
 
This season, Tubelis separated himself as one of the best power forwards in the country by leading the Pac-12 in scoring and rebounding, just the seventh player in conference history to accomplish that feat and the first since 2005-06. His 13 double-doubles on the year rank second in the conference and he ranks inside the top 15 players in the country for made field goals this season. He has scored in double figures in 30 of 31 games and has 16 games with 20 or more points, including a 40-point effort against Oregon. Not only has he made shots, he has done so in an efficient manner, shooting 57.7% from from the floor and 76.6% from the free throw line. His 616 points entering the Pac-12 Tournament are nearing the top 10 of the single-season scoring list at Arizona.
 
Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting Friday, March 10, on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.
 
This month, the finalists will be presented to Malone and the Hall of Fame's selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Karl Malone Award is composed of top men's college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.
 
The winner of the 2023 Karl Malone Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Men's Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Bob Cousy Award (Point Guard), Jerry West Award (Shooting Guard), Julius Erving Award (Small Forward) and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (Center), in addition to the Women's Starting Five.
 
Previous winners of the Karl Malone Award are Keegan Murray, Iowa (2022), Drew Timme, Gonzaga (2021), Obi Toppin, Dayton (2020), Zion Williamson, Duke (2019), Deandre Ayton, Arizona (2018), Johnathan Motley, Baylor (2017), Georges Niang, Iowa State (2016) and Montrezl Harrell, Louisville (2015).
 
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